The Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation are once again at peace, and Aang and Katara's relationship is stronger than ever, but Katara knows in her heart that things are different between her and Aang now. He is no longer her boyfriend, but the man that she sees spending the rest of her life with, and she's ready to show it. -Lemon Omitted from this story. Inside for more details.-

Summary: The Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation are once again at peace, and Aang and Katara's relationship is stronger than ever, but Katara knows in her heart that things are different between her and Aang now. He is no longer her boyfriend, but the man that she sees spending the rest of her life with, and she's ready to show it.

Disclaimer: Avatar: The Last Airbender is owned by Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko, Nickelodeon, and Viacom.

LES: The third and final part of my "Kataang Does Sexy Stuff in The Promise" fanfiction series. I asked my followers on Tumblr what sort of sex act they wanted to see from me. The vote was unanimous for sex. And, low and behold, "The Promise Part 3" fell right into my expectations of what would happen, so my plans to put sex into it is not only possible, but the novel practically begs for sex! I hope that you enjoy this, and hopefully I'll see you guys around for "The Search"! This takes place during the time when the GAang is in Ba Sing Se waiting for Zuko to recover.

Note: The Lemon has been omitted from this version of the story. If you want to read the whole story, including the explicit sex, please follow the link in my Profile.

EDIT: A friendly reminder from your Friendly Neighborhood Author. If you ask a question, please sign in to ask it, don't post it as a Guest Review. There's no easy way for me to answer you.

So I hope the person who asked this question sees this. They asked if Aang and Katara were too young to have sex at 13 and 15. First things first, they are not 13 and 15. They are 14 and 16. A:TLA took place over a full year (from Autumn to Autumn) so all the characters ended one year older than when they started.

And as for asking if they are too young, that is personally subjective. I see readiness for sex being more a matter of maturity than age. I've known young people who are ready for a physical relationship, and I've known people who are 'old' enough who are not ready. Both Aang and Katara are able to discuss their relationship like adults and are well aware of the consequences of having sex. So, in my personal opinion, they are ready.

Aang sighed to himself as he came back from checking on Zuko. After the end of the Battle of Yu Dao, the young Firelord had suddenly collapsed. Aang had been terrified that Zuko had fainted because of his close brush with death.

Aang had used the Avatar State to awe-inspiring effect during the battle, opening a ravine around the walled city that would keep the armies out and stop them from fighting each other. Unfortunately, Zuko had accidentally fallen into the ravine. He would have died if Aang had not caught him and pulled him to safety.

Even still, the Firelord had fainted in the aftermath of the battle and was yet to wake up. Without knowing what else to do (Katara had tried to heal him and found nothing 'wrong') they flew Zuko to Ba Sing Se and his uncle Iroh.

Both Aang and Iroh had checked on the young Firelord's health and came to the conclusion that it was merely a case of exhaustion. Zuko had seemed much more gaunt and his features drawn when Aang had seen him, and they both suspected that he'd gone without good sleep for weeks prior to the battle.

"Why don't you go home?" Iroh told Aang, referring to the Inner Ring house that Aang normally used when he was staying in Ba Sing Se. "Don't worry about Zuko, I'll stay with him over-night and you can come back in the morning. I suspect that rest is the best thing that he can have right now."

Aang nodded in agreement. It had been a hard time for everyone. It seemed like so much had changed in the last few days, Aang could hardly believe it. It is not often that one experiences such a dramatic shift in their world view, and it happened even less for the Avatar.

But it was happening, and Aang couldn't help but wonder what that meant for him as the Avatar. The world was changing, and Aang didn't know if he was comfortable relying on outdated advice from Avatars who had never lived in a world with any more or less than four distinct nations. Avatar Roku wasn't a bad Avatar, and Aang would always be grateful to the older man for mentoring him and guiding him down the path of the Avatar. But Roku was not the Avatar anymore. This was not Roku's world, and it was not the world he was familiar with anymore. Aang had to make the best decisions he could, for the world he is living in now.

It was no longer a world of four different nations. The war had tried to divide the nations, but in the process they were mixed together in ways that could no longer be undone. The Earth Kingdom residents and the Fire Nation residents of Yu Dao were bound together with friendship and love. And, in the future, maybe the Air Nomads and the Water Tribe would be bound together in the same way…

In the end, his decision to remove his support from the Harmony Restoration Movement was based on his love for his friends, all of them, from every single nation. When he saw that the true cost of the Harmony Restoration Movement was the destruction of these relationships, he knew in his heart that he could no longer back it.

But he knew he would come to that decision, from the moment when Katara compared the mayor of Yu Dao to their future relationship. Just like the mayor and his wife… Aang and Katara came from different nations and still loved each other deeply despite, or maybe because, of those differences. And when Katara had told him that the Harmony Restoration Movement would mean they couldn't be together… it had broken his heart… and her heart too, judging by the tears she cried as she kissed him.

He stepped into his house, leaned against the door, and sighed. He had made his decision and now he would have to see it through to the end. Everything was on him now, and he had to trust himself to do what's best for the world.

Katara was waiting for him in the sitting room, and she glanced up as he entered. "How's Zuko?" She asked.

"Still sleeping." Aang said, sitting down next to her. "Iroh and I think it's just exhaustion. He should be up soon."

Katara nodded, glad that Zuko was unhurt. She had been just as shocked as everyone when Zuko fell into the ravine opened up by Aang. For a moment, she really thought that he meant to kill Zuko… until Aang pulled him to safety. It was at that moment that she knew that Aang choose to stand on Yu Dao's side, on Zuko's side, and her side.

She had placed the fate of the entire world, and the fate of their relationship entirely in his hands. And she was glad to know, then, that her absolute trust in him was not misplaced.

"Roku didn't want me to remove my support from the Harmony Restoration Movement. He wanted me to kill Zuko, for the good of the world. He said that Zuko was in his right mind when he made me promise to kill him if he went bad." Aang said. "I'm thinking about... cutting my ties with Avatar Roku."

This part shocked Katara, because this was the first time she's heard Aang talk about what happened while he went away during the battle, let alone discussed what had happened between him and Avatar Roku. "What?"

"We no longer agree what's best for the world. Come to think of it… it's been a long time since we've agreed on what's best for the world. The world's changing and Avatar Roku can't keep up with it. Sometimes I can barely keep up with it. So… it should probably be up to me. I have to be the guide for this new world, and I have to do it alone."

"You're not alone, Aang." Katara said, moving closer to him. "We all know that these are confusing times, but I'm here to help you… and I'm sure that everyone else will agree with me."

"But what if Roku was right?" Aang asked desperately. "What if I made the wrong choice?"

Katara gazed at him, her eyes shining with love and pain… pain at his pain. "Aang…" She whispered, moving even closer to him. She rested her hand against his cheek and he turned to face her. They studied each other's eyes for a moment before Katara leaned into him and pressed her lips to his. Within moments, he was responding to the caress of her lips fully. His fingers buried themselves in her hair, holding her firmly against him. But she had no desire to pull away or end the kiss just yet. She opened her mouth against his, allowing their tongues to meet in a passionate dance.

After allowing him to drink deeply of her, she pulled away slowly. "Did that feel wrong?" She asked, meeting his eyes. "This is what the Harmony Restoration Movement would have ended: people with love like ours. Love between two people can never be wrong, and it's worth fighting for. Besides… it's not your job to defend the borders of the nations, but the people within those nations. And that's exactly what you did. No, Aang… you are not a bad Avatar. You are a great Avatar, and I know that one day the people will praise you for your wisdom and compassion."

Aang sniffed, nearly moved to tears with her words. He knew that Katara was not just speaking out of her love for him. She had been a source of encouragement since the day he met her, before he ever felt anything more than a crush for her. She was his courage when he was afraid. She was his wisdom when he had none to offer. She was the light of love and acceptance when he was drowning in doubt and couldn't forgive himself.

"Thank you, Katara… so much. I promise that I will never take this sort of love away from anyone again." Aang vowed to her. "I will protect the people from now on. The land is not nearly as important as the people living on it. I will remember that."

"An Avatar that fights for the People and for love rather than duty and obligation…" Katara mused. "I know that this will be a good thing. The future is looking bright."

"The future…" Aang echoed, remembering something Katara had told him during the Battle of Yu Dao. "Katara… how did you see us when you said that you saw our future in the Mayor's family?"

Katara smiled at him. "We were older and married. And we had a baby…"

"A baby?" Aang asked. "A boy or a girl?"

"I didn't see. But it didn't really matter. The important thing is that it is our baby." Katara sighed. "It was such a beautiful vision… I want it to come true."

"Katara, you know that I'm going to marry you and start a family with you, right?" Aang asked.

"I know, but Aang…" Katara paused, gathering her thoughts. "Answer me honestly… do you want to have sex with me?"

Aang blushed, and didn't answer for a few moments. When he finally did answer, his voice was steady, despite the blush that was still on his face. "I do, Katara. I want to have sex with you so badly that it's all I can think about sometimes. But I know that you want to wait, so…"

"Aang, there was only one reason why I wanted to wait." Katara said. "I wanted for you to be ready for sex. I'm ready. I've been ready. And if you say that you want to wait… then we will wait; but if you want to…" She trailed off.

Aang stared at her, both with shock and growing hope. "You'd leave this decision up to me?"

"Of course." Katara said. "I left the Harmony Restoration Movement up to you, and you did not let me down then. You never let me down when it comes to the really important things. I know that you will make the right decision for you and for us. After all, you are the only one who knows if you are ready or not."

Aang bit his bottom lip thoughtfully. Of course he wanted to have sex with her. That was a no-brainer. But was that just his hormones talking? But he quickly dismissed that notion. He loved Katara with everything he had, and he knew he would always love her. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Officially married or not, he considered them bound together forever. It was at that moment that he knew he was ready to have sex with her.

But then another thought occurred to him. "But… what if you get pregnant?" Aang asked. He certainly didn't want to imagine Sokka's reaction if he got Katara pregnant. He all ready made a big enough deal with them kissing… if he got that iron-clad proof that they had sex… he didn't even want to contemplate it! And Hakoda would certainly mutilate whatever was left of Aang once Sokka was done with him!

Katara nodded. She truly appreciated his concern. They may both want children, but now was not the time to have them. They had years to make that part of Katara's vision a reality. "I'm a healer. I won't get pregnant until I want to." Katara said. "I would never allow myself to risk your honor by becoming pregnant before we got married."

Aang nodded. "Then I'm ready."

Katara smiled and pulled him into an embrace, which he eagerly returned. For a while, they just sat there, equal parts amazed and nervous that they just decided to have sex with each other.

Katara pulled away from their embrace, stood up, took his hands in hers and pulled him up from the couch. He followed her guidance with no complaints, simply smiling at her. They moved together, down the hallway and made their way to Aang's room. Aang's room was, without a doubt, the best one in the house. It was not so much a room but an entire in-house suite. And the best part of all was the fact that the room had been designed to provide additional security for the Avatar, who was always a high-priority assassination target. That meant a lock with only a single key, which was in Aang's possession and windows that were high off the ground with no access from the outside. That meant total privacy.

The stopped just inside the doorway, and Katara waited for Aang to close and lock the door, granting them the total privacy they wanted for this sacred act. Once the lock was secure, Aang turned to face her and pulled her into a hard and passionate kiss.

Katara moaned against his mouth as their lips moved together as one. They had kissed more times than either one could count over the course of their relationship together, but this kiss spoke of much more, and deeper intimacies. Perhaps it was because they knew that they would be having sex.

Not just touching or even foreplay, but they would be going the whole way.

She was so caught up in his lips and tongue that she didn't even notice that he was gradually moving them over to the bed, while his fingers clumsily pulled at the ties that held the front of her dress together.

Katara had a much easier time getting his wrap tunic off. She simply tugged on the fabric until it came free from his belt, and she flung the cloth away into an unknown corner of the room.

They made it to the edge of the bed, and Katara yelped as she lost her balance when the back of her knees made contact with the edge of the bed and she fell on the surface. Before she fell, she grabbed the closest thing she could, which happened to be Aang, and pulled him down with her onto the bed. Aang, his mind addled by the surge of hormones, did not have the presence of mind to stop himself from falling on top of Katara, so they fell to the bed together, Aang on top.

Aang instantly propped himself up on his elbows. "Katara? Are you all right?" He asked, worried and horrified that he may have hurt her when he fell.

"I'm fine." Katara assured him, running her hands up along his stomach and chest and causing shivers of pleasure to travel up his spine. "But we should be more careful next time." She whispered, pulling him down towards her and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

"Next time…" Aang repeated, sounding amazed and grateful. "Yeah, I can definitely get used to the thought of having a next time with you." He turned his head slightly and kissed her properly, his fingers once again working at the half-undone ties of her dress.

Once the ties came undone, Katara arched her back to help Aang remove the cloth. With Katara's assistance, he was able to remove the fabric from her body and tossed it aside into whatever lonely corner now held his tunic. As one, their fingers attacked the ties of Katara's breast bindings and, soon enough, that was being tossed off the bed as well.

Now both topless, they pulled each other into an embrace. Katara gasped with lust and arousal as the firm plane of his chest moved against her breasts. Katara wrapped her arms around Aang's back, pulling them chest-to-chest so that there was not one inch of space between their heaving chests.

His lips once again found hers, but Katara did not protest the near-constant assault on her lips. She would gladly die with Aang's lips on hers. She never wanted to stop kissing him. And, judging from the enthusiasm with which his tongue worked inside her mouth, plunging into its depths to get the fullest extent of her taste, Aang felt the same way she did.

"Katara… Katara…" Aang whispered between breathless kisses. "You have no idea… how much I… love you…"

"I understand…" Katara replied, just as breathlessly. "I understand how you feel perfectly."

Then, without warning, he aborted the kiss. Katara groaned in annoyance as his lips left hers. She was about to grab his neck and guide him back to her lips when he started to attack the soft and sensitive skin beneath her chin and throat.

"Oh, Aang…" Katara moaned, arching her back again and feeling her hips press against his. She could feel his hardened penis through his pants, and Aang groaned his way through the caress, thrusting his hips against hers seeking more of the intoxicating feeling.

His seeking mouth descended lower on her body. Not quite as low as he'd gone when they were in the Earth King's palace together. He stopped at her breasts. He brought his hand up, cupping one and lowering his mouth on the other.

Her fingers dug into his shoulders as his mouth closed around her nipple, sucking lightly and bathing it thoroughly with his tongue. Aang groaned. It was a little painful, but he found himself not caring. Pain and pleasure, it was all just sensation to his aroused body and no longer could make the distinction between the two.

Katara was thoroughly enjoying Aang's attentions to her breasts, but she wanted more. The foreplay that they had experimented with before had whetted her appetite and left her wanting for so much more. She was ready for so much more. However, removing her skirt was, in short, problematic with Aang lying on top of her.

"Aang…" She whispered to get his attention. It seemed to work. He didn't stop his tongue's seeking caresses of her breasts, but he hummed to indicate that he heard her. "Sit up for a moment."

Aang pulled away from her, confused. "What? Was I doing it wrong?" He asked nervously.

"No. You're doing wonderful." Katara assured him. "But I couldn't get off the rest of my clothes with you lying on me like that." She began to work on removing the clothes from her lower body.

"Oh." Aang said, relieved that he hadn't screwed this up. No matter the times they had shared each other's bodies, this was still his first experience with sex, and he couldn't shake the awful feeling that if he screwed up and made the experience unpleasant for Katara… that she'd never forgive him. "I guess you couldn't." He pulled away from her fully, giving her all the space she needed to undo the ties of her skirt and push all the clothes left on her body down in a single pass, leaving her completely naked.

Aang had seen her naked before, when he'd given her oral sex at the Earth King's palace, but it didn't take away the impact of the sight of her naked now. She grinned wickedly as she got up on her hands and knees, crawled across the bed towards Aang, and pushed him down on the mattress so that he was flat on his back this time.

Before Aang could form any sort of reaction to this development, Katara had crawled over his body and straddled his lap. Aang pushed himself up on his elbows and their lips met with hunger and passion. Her hips swayed against his, their sexes separated only by the fabric of his pants and undergarments.

Aang's hand found her backside, cupping her flesh firmly, and guiding her movements against his body; both of them working together to find a pace that they both found enjoyable.

Aang broke the kiss before she ran out of air, which seemed a legitimate concern. He gazed up at her, awed, at her face flushed with passion and arousal, her mouth open and gasping with every movement she made against him; and he knew that she never looked more beautiful than she did at that moment.

"I love you… I want you." Katara whispered.

Aang nodded against her throat and used the sort of strength that few but Katara knew he possessed; he pushed himself up off the bed and used the leverage to change possessions with Katara, putting her on the bottom again.

Almost as soon as the switch was made, Katara's hands found the fabric of his belt, pulling it off almost as easily as she pulled off the wrap tunic. She was immensely glad that Aang now wore these simple Air Nomad clothes instead of the formal robes given to him by Zuko after they'd stopped the war. Like all formal clothes, they were nearly impossible to get on and off, at least quickly. This outfit, however, was very simple to remove. Once the belt was gone, Aang and Katara removed his pants and undergarments with ease.

Now they were completely naked together, and they froze, a little shocked at what they were about to do. Katara had seen Aang naked, and he had seen her, but this was the first time that they were naked together. Thankfully, their nerves wore off rather quickly, and quicker when Katara's hands found Aang's hips and pulled him down against her. Aang put his weight on his elbows, on either side of her body so that he could gaze down at her. She was radiant. He leaned down and kissed her, pouring out his love and passion into the caress. Katara returned his passion fervently.

"I love you." She whispered, her fingers running up and down the sides of his body and slowly migrated to caress his back. She held him against her, as if he would disappear if she let go. Aang wasn't going anywhere.

"I love you too, Katara… so much." Aang replied, attaching his lips to her throat once more. Katara groaned in appreciation, wiggling her hips so that her legs were no longer trapped under him, but instead, were spread on either side of his hips.

They both cried out at the first brush of his penis against her sex. Even without penetration, the caress felt amazing and left them both wanting more of the intoxicating feeling.

Aang thrust his hips against her, blindly seeking out more sensation. Katara cried out, arching against him and adding more contact between them. "I want you… inside… right now…" Katara whispered against his neck. "I can't wait any more."

"Katara, are you sure…?" Aang began to ask.

"I'm sure." Katara replied. She hooked her legs around his waist, trapping him and pulling him against her. Aang could not argue with that, so he reached down between their straining bodies and adjusted himself so that he was at her entrance. He met Katara's eyes. "Do it." She gasped. So he did.

This is the point that used to contain the lemon. Once again, if you want the full story, check the link on my profile.

Aang flopped limply on the bed, hardly able to hold his head up any longer. It seemed that Katara was worn out too, because she lay down on top of him, her head resting on his chest. For a while, they both just breathed together, their bodies too busy recovering from their high to make small talk with each other.

They panted together, with Aang absentmindedly running his hand through her sweat-dampened hair. He didn't mind the sweat. They were both pretty sweaty after what they'd just done together.

Finally, Katara felt Aang's breathing and heart-rate return to normal, and she gazed up at him, smiling. "Hey." She whispered.

"Hey." Aang replied with a soft laugh. They shifted their bodies so that they were laying side-by-side now, gazing into each other's eyes. "Katara… making love with you was better than I ever dreamed it would be."

"And the same to you." Katara replied, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "Much better than any dream." They kissed again, more deeply this time. Their mouths lingered together, eager to get as much a taste of each other as they could.

Katara pulled away, smiling. Her hand moved down her body, taking extra care to brush against her breasts and down her curves for Aang's amusement. (He appreciated the sight greatly.) At last, her hand ended up between her legs and pulled away. Aang was a little shocked to see that she had just Bent his seed out of her body, and realized that this is what she meant when she said she wouldn't get pregnant until she wanted to.

"You can Bend that?" He asked, shocked.

"Well, I did when I gave you oral sex. You probably didn't notice." Katara said, sending the fluid into the nearest waste basket. "I told you that I won't risk your honor, and I won't." She said.

"I know. Thank you, Katara." Aang pulled her into an embrace, eager to feel her body against his own again.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Just think, Aang… a few years from now we are going to get married, and then we won't have to stop this process. We'll have a baby." Katara cuddled against him. "I can't wait to have a baby with you."

"I'm eagerly awaiting the day, Katara… I'm eagerly awaiting the day."

LES: Well… this story caused quite a lot of trouble for me. Mostly because I was late in getting my copy of The Promise Part 3, but also because I'm a lazy procrastinator. I'm so sorry, but I hope that you guys enjoy story! It's the last of The Promise, but maybe I'll whip something up for The Search when it comes out. We'll just have to wait and see…

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.